Professional to Manufacturing Mode due to Online University Education

Abstract

The usability of online education relates to the culture of the profession that is expected to create and deliver online education. This profession is threatened by the manufacturing mode that certain online education entails. Case studies at Washington State University, Pace University, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, support the hypothesis that successful online degree programs introduce manufacturing characteristics into the academy. Furthermore, the case studies support the claim that university administrations rely on boundary manipulation to move the faculty into positions that the faculty would otherwise refuse to accept. An analogy to health care reinforces the conclusions about the impact of mechanization on the professions.